


Mama

by grossnoona



Series: ESO2019 [5]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Headcanon, M/M, does this count as weird question?? no right??, kinda??, moms!! moms!! moms are great!!, we just talking about moms honestly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 12:16:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20135311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grossnoona/pseuds/grossnoona
Summary: Mao and Subaru talk about their respective moms.The things they've done for them, the things they continue to do, and the limitless love they have for them.Mao notices these gestures and always cherish them close to his heart. (Subaru has a hard time realising them to begin with)Alternative Summary: two boys sitting in the stuco room, talking about moms bc this is a good moms only area[ESO/Prompt: Moms]





	Mama

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Grossnoona here!  
We out here talking about good moms tonight bc we love good moms  
I just really wrote this without considering if this was a weird question (which was what the prompt I was thinking about but then I decided, it isn't)  
Anyway, I love subarus mom pls reveal her or smth

“Hey, Sarii.”

Mao hums.

Today, Subaru decided to stay back to help Mao with his council work. Surprisingly, Subaru was _ actually willing to help _ for once. Maybe, it’s to ease off Mao’s burdens since Trickstar have been worried. Subaru, especially. Everyone started taking turns in helping out Mao in hopes he’d go home early and not arrive to school, tired and drained from his endless piles of the student council of work.

Usually, Subaru would attempt to avoid doing such work. Huffing and puffing his cheek, complaining and lazing around the student council room. He’d complain how the font is too small for him to see. Complain about how it feels like hours when in reality it’s probably only been 5 to 10 minutes since he’s arrived to the room. Complain about how he wants to go home, how Mao should try and pamper him, all of that kind of stuff that Mao has to admit; even Ritsu doesn’t do it _ that much _. Akehoshi Subaru is a whole new level of annoyance sometimes.

_ Today is different _.

Subaru is actually doing his share of work. He’s actually sitting there and doing work appropriately. Occasionally scooching over to Mao and asking him how to fill out certain documents but other than that, he doesn’t talk so much. Maybe something happened today and now Subaru doesn’t feel like talking. Subaru’s moods are pretty easy to read despite his insistence on staying happy. Subaru would always quietly wipe his tears away and force a smile when his usual cheerful moods feel different. Mao doesn’t really know how to explain it but he can tell _ something is definitely bothering the other _.

“Sarii,” Subaru calls out once more.

Mao snaps out of his thoughts. He jolts a little; he didn’t realise he never responded to Subaru after the hum. Quietly wondering what has been bothering Subaru despite the man in question being right in front of him, making a confused expression at him. Mao apologises for zoning out. He couldn’t help but be caught up with his thoughts.

That face; it goes from a confused frown to a relaxed soft smile.

“What were you saying, Subaru?” Mao asks, sheepishly laughing. He feels bad for asking Subaru to repeat it once more. Usually, it’d be the other way around. Subaru would zone out while Mao talks about anything work-related. He’d either stare at Mao almost like he was admiring him or blank out completely as if he was left on airplane mode. Nothing in his head which leaves Mao repeating the work in short concise sentences when he finally gets the other’s attention.

“I wanted to know how you feel about your mom.”

_ Huh? _

“You want to know how I feel about my mom?”

Subaru nods. 

Mao is confused by the question. Why did Subaru want to know how Mao felt about his mom? He quirked an eyebrow at the other who only stares intently, hoping for Mao to finally open up about his mom. Mao still didn’t quite get the situation. Did he miss out a part of the conversation while thinking? Though Subaru is the type to go _ all the way back from the start _ so surely, this is just all he had said. He wouldn’t really lie. He would honestly state his intentions or at least, _ most of them _. Mao doesn’t quite get the situation at all.

Mao sighs before placing his pen down.

“She’s a good mother, I guess. I don’t think I’m much of a rebellious child but she loves my sister and I equally.” Mao answers firmly. He can’t deny that his mom is a good mother. She’s always been kind to all the friends Mao has brought over, never tries to put a strain on Mao who is always coming home deadbeat tired and will always support him through everything. She also doesn’t meddle into his things, surprisingly since most of his friends say their moms do. Mao thinks his mom is pretty much okay with whatever he and sister do so there isn’t much protest he can say about her.

Subaru hums after hearing Mao’s answer.

“Why were you asking, anyway?” Mao asks back. It only felt right for Mao to know what led Subaru’s curiosity to such a topic. Mao hopes it’s just something to do with _ his mom _. Maybe that’s why he’s bothered? Subaru must be thinking about his mom. Though, Mao can never be sure. He was never a good mind-reader.

“Nah, I was just curious since you never talk much about your parents,” Subaru answers before going back to work.

Mao wanted to say that was such a strange train of thought. Though, aside from it being a strange train of thought, Mao was more curious about Subaru and how he feels about his mom. He’s talked about her enough times; always calling her the light of his life, the reason why he’s always trying his best to keep his smile up, the woman behind the ever-so bright child known as Akehoshi Subaru. Mao was far more interested in how Subaru felt about her and her efforts, though. Surely, in comparison to Mao, his relationship with his mom goes way deeper.

“What about you, then?” Mao asks, he’s already back in his work. 

Mao hears Subaru’s pen scratching stop. It seems the other is thinking hard about it. Mao knows out of everyone in Trickstar and maybe in the entirety of Yumenosaki, Subaru loved his mother the most. Mao waits for Subaru to accumulate his thoughts about it. Maybe, he’ll wax poetry. Maybe he won’t. Mao is never sure.

“I think she’s cooler than my dad sometimes,” Subaru answers. Mao snorts at such an answer.

Subaru scoffs and asks why Mao seems like he expected such an answer. Mao doesn’t know actually. He just felt that it was such a Subaru-like thing to say. Having Subaru admit he thinks his mom is cooler than his dad seemed so predictable. Mao can’t help but laugh a little at it. Maybe because of how high he regarded his mother.

Mao tells him how it seemed obvious that Subaru would say such things. After all, Subaru is mainly here for his mom not for his dad. Subaru does a lot of the things he does with the thought of his mom, doesn’t he? Mao knows enough to point out how Subaru really wants his mom to lean on him once in a while.

Subaru hums in agreement.

It’s true, Subaru will always think of his mom during performances. Always looking wildly into the crowd, hoping his mom would be there. Sometimes she is, sometimes she isn’t. Regardless, Subaru will always find a way to express gratitude towards her. Shouting for her, talking about her, smiling and waving at her, anything really Subaru can do to catch her attention. Mao admires that about Subaru honestly.

“I wonder if I should start calling out for my mom on stage like you,” Mao wonders. He laughs at the thought. Surely, he’ll just embarrass his family more than anything. His family have always been more or less quiet about expressing though he thinks his sister’s gestures are certainly the opposite. Maybe he should just embarrass his sister, that’d be funny. Though, Mao isn’t quite as willing to go through all those back punches and high kicks in the back for such a stupid little gesture.

Subaru laughs at Mao.

“Sarii doesn’t look the type to do those things!” He laughs in Mao’s face, talking about how Mao looks more of the type to just softly smile at his family members. He starts gushing how it must be so sweet to see Mao come down from the stage to high five his family members or maybe even smile proudly at them. Mao calls Subaru ridiculous for gushing something that he is for certain that wouldn’t happen.

“Your family won’t come to your shows?”

Mao shakes his head and corrects him.

“My sister and mom do, they just don’t want to be called out.”

Subaru nods at that. He notes how Mao’s family seems the type to not want to be bothered but still find a way to show support him. Though, it seems pretty obvious since even Mao is like that sometimes. Always taking a step back for the other members to shine despite Mao being a member too. How unfair, Subaru says before booing at Mao again.

“You’re a member too, Sarii!” Subaru says aloud. He points his finger at Mao who only quirks an eyebrow at the absurdity of the situation. He knows he’s a member but he doesn’t quite get what Subaru is trying to convey right now. Was he lacking something as a member of Trickstar? Mao wouldn’t really know until someone told him upfront. If this was Subaru’s way of saying it, it’s not very upfront.

If anything, it makes the entire point of criticising your member _ pretty fucking useless _.

“You’re a member too!”

“I’m aware of that.”

“No, you’re not!”

Subaru is starting to sound pretty livid. Mao doesn’t want to get into an argument with Subaru right now. He knows if he does, they’ll end up not talking for days and will only let time resolve the issue which isn’t how things should work. He tries to calm the other down before things get out of hand, Subaru is huffing his cheeks again and complaining about how Mao doesn’t act like a member of Trickstar.

“Well, how do you want me to act?”

“Like you mean it!”

Mao sighs. He’s going to take the long route back home today. If he doesn’t, he might accidentally blow a fuse in front of his sister which he certainly doesn’t want to happen. He tries to collect his thoughts and think carefully before finally responding to Subaru. He doesn’t want the other to come home angry as well. It’d just make things worse.

“Subaru,” Mao starts.

Subaru is already trying to backtrack his words and thoughts. Maybe he’s realising the severity of the situation. Honestly, Mao can’t blame him for reacting that way. Maybe Mao does get a bit of what he’s saying. Maybe Subaru has a point. Mao is oddly selfless but also selfish. He’s selfless enough to want to see his members shine properly but he’s selfish to never truly want to show himself. Mao can understand that to an extent.

But acting like he’s a member of Trickstar? That is something Mao _ might _ need Subaru to explain.

“Look, I get where you’re coming from--kinda--but I don’t really see what you see when you say; _ act like you mean it _.” Mao’s sentences have always been sharp and concise. Never straying far from the topic. Almost as if he has run through multiple endings to this scenario which might be true. Subaru sometimes thinks if there was anyone who is actually sharp and shiny like a diamond, it’d be Mao. He sometimes wonders if being in Trickstar would good for someone as terrifying skilled like Mao.

“I want you to be happy with Trickstar,” Subaru tries to explain. He wants Mao to step up and shine bright with them too. He doesn’t want Mao to feel kind of left out in a conversation between his members. He wants Mao to loosen up with them. He wants Mao to no longer need to backtrack his thoughts when talking to them; he wants them unfiltered and clumsy like his. It might be too much to ask but Subaru wants to hear Mao’s rough-edged thoughts even if it’s just one.

Mao sighs once more.

Really, Subaru says the weirdest things. Watching the other frantically go about his words, trying to explain to Mao that he wants to see Mao happy despite Mao being pretty happy already. He’s just like that because of how he was raised.

“But don’t you ever want to see your mom be proud of you?”

Mao quirks an eyebrow at him.

Is that what this entire spiraled catastrophe was all about? Subaru just wants his mom to say she’s proud of him?

“Well, I already know she is.”

“How?”

Mao ponders for a moment. How do you string that into a sentence? Mao’s mom has already told him that she’s happy and proud of him already. She’s already explained it through soft smiles as he rolls out of bed during the weekend, yawning and mumbling about how tiring practice is. She’s already explained it through sudden head pats and hugs that don’t exactly have an outright meaning but it’s there. It’s there in the sounds of her telling his sister not to be too loud when Mao’s napping the day after a performance. Thinking of all of that, Mao wonders if Subaru has ever had those kinds of moments.

Or if he actually ever realises those things at all.

“Through all of the things she has done for me?” Mao answers, slightly unsure if that was correct.

Subaru tilts his head at the answer.

_ Mao was right. Subaru doesn’t realise them or recognise them at all _.

“Does your mom ever let you sleep in a day after our performances?”

Subaru nods.

“Ok, does she let you make your favourite breakfast sometimes?”

Subaru nods at that too. He talks a little about how those days are always his favourite because it’s normally after a big event too.

“What about just hugging you or doing any nice comforting gestures out of random?”  


Subaru pauses for a moment and asks Mao if pinching his cheeks count. Mao shrugs a little; his mom doesn’t do it but hey, it could be. Mao doesn’t know that. Maybe it is. He says it could be anyway.

“Yea, why?”

“I’m assuming that’s her way of saying she’s proud of you.”

Subaru makes a confused face, almost as if he didn’t think of that at all. Mao laughs a little at the expression. It’s funny, Subaru always talks highly of his mom but fails to see her expressed gratitude. Truly, that’s very typical of Subaru. Mao should have expected this kind of situation, honestly.

Subaru asks Mao how he would know.

Mao shrugs and replies how he thinks moms don’t always like being upfront. Or at least from his own personal experience. Though, he might add that his family isn’t always upfront. The point is, Subaru’s mom must have expressed it already, it’s just Subaru is so bad at catching it. He should probably pay closer attention to his mom to see it. Subaru gets a little offended but admits Mao might be right.

The last school bell rings; it’s time to go home. If not, they’ll truly get locked in.

Mao tells Subaru to pack up. He’ll finish the rest of the work tomorrow, maybe he can ask for a helping hand from his friends again. Who was helping out tomorrow? Hokuto, was it? Maybe. At least, he wouldn’t have to struggle explaining the task all the time. He hears Subaru beginning to pack up. He spares a glance and sees Subaru frowning at his bag.

“Is there something wrong, Subaru?” Mao asks, surely it’s about the conversation they had earlier.

“I didn’t notice it until now and I _ actually thought I was close to my mom _.”

Mao doesn’t blame Subaru for reacting this way. He’s seen people get surprised by how little they actually know about someone despite knowing them their entire life. It was common, to say the least. Mao tries to comfort Subaru by saying that it’s not his fault. Maybe it was due to Subaru’s own big gestures that it drowns out his mom’s.

Subaru nods and laughs a little.

“Hey, Sarii, are you going to go straight home?” Subaru asks, Mao already dropped the keys to the student council room off at the teacher’s office. They were already heading to the school gates. He can hear other students shuffling about and talking about work. It felt out of place for Subaru asking him such a question.

Mao shakes his head. He was thinking of maybe wandering a little before finally heading home. Maybe he’ll go to the shopping district, catch his sister doing something ridiculous and be on his merry way back home. He isn’t so sure. He just thinks his sister is up to no good, today.

“Oh! Nice! Can you follow me grocery shopping?” Subaru just casually asks. It’s honestly ridiculous, watching him clasps his hands together and kind of beg Mao to follow. For whatever reason it may be, Mao can spare some time for this detour. It’ll still pass by the shopping district so chances of him seeing his younger sister is very much there.

Mao watches Subaru jump in glee before turning around and telling Mao to hurry up.

“What do you need, anyway?”

“Stuff.”  


“Okay, we really need to work on the fact, you _ never add context _ at all.”

**Author's Note:**

> I added Hokuto bc he is also mom-like haha  
I hope you had fun reading this  
Thank you for reading!!


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